Nigerian Senators Face Lawsuit Over '12% Performance': Lawyers Demand 78% Salary Refund

A coalition of legislative lawyers under the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has launched a formal move to compel Nigerian senators to refund 78% of their salaries and benefits received from May 2023 to May 2025, citing “woeful underperformance” and constitutional violations.

In a bold legal action grounded in public interest, the lawyers accused members of the 10th National Assembly, particularly 40 senators concurrently serving in ECOWAS and Pan-African parliaments, of dereliction of duty and unjust enrichment.

The move was formalized through a pre-action notice dated May 26, 2025, signed by ALDRAP’s Administrative Secretary, Jesse Amuga, and sent to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The letter invokes the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act (2018) and frames constituents as “consumers” of legislative services who have received just 12% value for money.

“We are representatives of the constituents… due to dissatisfaction with the legislative services provided by the 109 senators, we demand a refund,” the letter states.

According to ALDRAP, 40 senators breached Section 68(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution by simultaneously holding seats in Nigeria’s Senate and either the ECOWAS or Pan-African Parliament, contrary to the prohibition against dual office-holding.

The group is demanding:

• Refund of ₦15 million/month per senator (May 2023–May 2025), totaling 78% of salaries and allowances for all 109 senators.

• Full refund of ₦15 million per sitting for at least 10 sittings per annum for the 40 senators serving in foreign parliaments.

Failure to comply within seven days, the letter warns, will lead to legal proceedings before the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (FCCPT).

The complaint draws on findings by OrderPaper Nigeria, a legislative monitoring organization, and a damning open letter by legal scholar Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, who cited:

• A mere 26 Senate bills passed out of over 800 introduced since 2023.

• Hasty passage of Executive Bills like the National Anthem Act (2024) and Police Tenure Extension Bill, often without public hearings.

• A failure to address priority areas: only 5.4% of Senate bills related to security, and 7.3% addressed agriculture and food security.

“The Senate has exhibited docility toward the Executive and hostility toward internal dissent,” ALDRAP alleges, referencing the suspension and legal targeting of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The affidavit, filed on May 27, 2025, insists that the Senate has:

• Neglected statutory duties outlined in Sections 4, 88, and 89 of the Constitution.

• Operated without transparency, allowing recycled or Executive-sponsored bills to dominate.

• Failed to maintain the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers by surrendering oversight responsibilities.

“By collecting full public funds without delivering full public service, the senators have unjustly enriched themselves at public expense,” the lawyers concluded.